90 Days
by MaudIsCountingTheDays
Summary: "It's been 10 days  not that i'm counting  since the Fischer job and i haven't heard from anyone since." Ariadne first 90 days since the job and the bolt from the blue she'll get.  ugh. i sucked at summaries. I messed in uploading Chp2 but here it is. K
1. Chapter 1

**Hey. Its Maud. It's my first time to write a fanfic. Heck, it's really my first time to write anything other than usual stuffs. Just tell me what you think.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inception. That genius Nolan did. :D  
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It's been 10 days (not that I'm counting) since the Fischer job and I haven't heard from anyone since. Even Professor Miles has been acting as if nothing happened, even though sometimes he slips and I caught him watching me in a way more than normal.

10 days is all it took to bring my physical body back into _reality_. I've managed to dream again after a week of sleepless nights and the traitorous sedative-induced wounds in my forearm are slowly fading. It was as if everything in me wanted to get me back to my old life – Ariadne, an architecture student. Ariadne, with a normal life.

But my thoughts are still somewhere else. I missed Yusuf, Eames, Saito, Arthur but most of all, I'm worried about Cobb.

The inception job was a shade easier to impossible yet he broke all the rules and tackled all barriers just to be with his children once again. And from someone who lost her family, that saying is something.

Before I've been recruited on the job, my dreams consist of a flash of blinding yellow light, a crash, an earsplitting scream and silence. Most nights, I'll wake up from the scream on my dream only to realize that the screams are my own. I've lost my parents and my brother that night and that moment haunted my sleeping moments since.

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"Earth to Ariadne!" Olga was waving her hand an inch from my face, disrupting my internal monologue.

"You've been dreaming awake again" she wailed. She hates it when I don't listen 100% to her blabs. I'm her outlet in her never-ending quest for attention. You see, Olga is my bestfriend, or rather, I'M HER BESTFRIEND. I can't imagine anybody who will listen intently to Olga's stories of who-dated-who, whose-pregnant-with-whom, and whose-wearing-the-wrong-shade-of-lipstick.

"What really happened to you in that internship thing?" she demanded, pouting her mouth a little. "You were never like that before." Poor childish Olga, I wish I could tell you this time.

"It's nothing, sissy" I assured her "Just a little tired, that's all"

I think I really did look tired because didn't press and she just continue to banter about the cute guy he saw in the university gate earlier.

But her question really hit something: What happened to me in that _internship_ before?

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Before we got on the plane Cobb told me what he probably told the rest "you don't know each other. Stick to your story. No contacts afterwards." The last bit left my mouth hanging open until he clarified, "No contacts until 90 days."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N blah blah here's the second part. I think it's really obvious that I'm not a native English speaker, so if this fanfic is giving you any headaches, I apologize. Well, I do hope you enjoy it. Comments please? :D love. Love.**

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I'm not really a patient girl. Really. If I want something, I want it done now and fast. So you could imagine how my mind went when Cobb told me "…no contacts for 90 days" It was as if his asking me to wait for 90 years.

And why 90 days you might ask? It's the period of time when our body adapts to the changes brought about by excessive sedative intake and the psychological effects of lucid dreaming. I tell you, it is really that long.

And to think about it, I don't really know much about the guys I worked with. Sure I've heard about Saito and his business that produces money faster than the Chinese reproduction rate. Of course there's Robert Fischer, a mainstay in the business news and our mark, who I now know quite a lot ever since that little excursion on his subconscious. But the rest of them, I know nothing except their names. It's not even enough to Google it or search it on Facebook. At any rate, I am pessimistic I will found anything useful.

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So I'm back in my old little life while my mind was going haywire in convincing myself that 90 odd days are not long and everything was real. My golden Bishop is always in my pocket and I haven't had the urge to flick it. I guess it will ruin the moment.

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It's the 24 day and I could tell that everything is a thing from the past. I should move on with my life because it will be really stupid to wait around for phone calls that will never come. And that's exactly what I did.

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FISCHER EMPIRE GONE TO ASHES, STOCKHOLDERS ON PROTEST. It never fails to make me proud everytime I see my efforts getting fruitful results, except this time. I guess Fischer finally dissolved his father's empire and the business world was on the shocking end of livewire on the cause. No one knows exactly. (Well except some stealthy people including yours truly) Some theorized that a large-scale blackmail is going on and some went so far as to suggest that an inception job happened (Whoever proposed it was either crazy or a genius.)

"I didn't know you have a thing for business stories" said Olga as my eyes focused on the broadsheet bearing the article about Fischer.

"Uh. No. Nothing." I said dismissing the topic. I looked around and noticed that the café we're sitting which was normally bursting with people was nearly empty. "It's odd. It's Sunday yet this place is almost empty."

"Yeah. I suppose" Olga said absentmindedly as she sipped through her lemonade "You know Professor Miles is acting weird lately"

That caught me off guard. "Weird? How weird?"

"He's watching you, like I don't know. Not usual." She shrugged while peering through her long lashes waiting for any reaction. "You know something about it don't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about" I think I looked slightly uncomfortable because she got the message.

"Oh. No. You're. Not…?" Olga said slowly, giving each word heavy emphasis. I guessed she didn't got the message after all.

"Of course I don't! Why would you think that!" I felt my cheeks go scarlet. I need to tell her something or else. "Fine. I've been referred by Miles to a certain Mr. Cobb for a job"

"And?"

"Well let's just say that the job isn't exactly legal."

Olga's eyes widened with intrigue. I could almost see the thousand questions popping in her head like fireworks as if her curly blonde locks were invisible. But before she could voice out her questions, I cut her short.

"But I couldn't tell you more because A. I don't think you can keep a secret and B. I promised them not to tell anybody."

"Oh. Please. Please! I swear to heavens I won't tell anybody!" she pleaded and made a gesture of sealing her lips in the process "See? My lips are sealed."

How far can I tell Olga? If she tell anybody would they believe her? Extraction and Inception jobs are not exactly new to people. There have been reported cases of similar to extraction yet nothing has been confirmed yet.

"Okay. Fine. I've been recruited to design something" I said simply

"Like!" her voice raised impatiently.

""You know. Those stuffs" I smiled a little. She hates it when I leave her hanging.

"Oh come on. If you think I'll let you get away with this, think again!" her eyes narrowed into slits and I smiled wider. "I'll tell that guy in the corner that you fancy him" she said threateningly.

"What guy?" I turned and saw nobody. At least nobody interesting.

"Well anyone else." She replied. "And trust me, they'll believe me."

Now that's blackmail.

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_What do you think? Should I continue? Hope to hear from you. :D_


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: The school is soo demanding it's getting on my nerves. Sorry it took so long. the fourth chap is on its way.**

**Disclaimer: The last time i checked Nolan still own everything.**

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So I told her.

Not every detail but just enough that she got the general picture. The warehouse, the hotel and the icy mountain. I left the part about Mal, Cobb's limbo and the little thing that happened in the hotel couch. That detail is mine.

After the storytelling, Olga's painted mouth became unbelievably huge with awe. Her eyes never left mine.

"Geez girl that's huge!" she hissed. Her eyes are getting wider and wider each second.

"Yeah. I know" I instantly regretted telling her,

"No. I'm serious. That's bigger than you. It's bigger than you and I put together. For you to have gone through all that, that's amazing." she beamed.

"Everything is bigger that me" I snapped but couldn't help but smile. She loved teasing me about my height (or lacked of).

"Yeah. That's true." And both of us laughed until our ribs hurt. I did not notice it at first but a slight weight was lifted off from me.

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"Class dismissed" Professor Miles concluded his lesson with a flourish and elegance only to be expected from him. I was merely a foot away from the giant oak door when I heard him call my name "Miss Ariadne, a moment please"

Without a second of hesitation I turned back as he motioned for me to sit in one of the empty desk.

"What is it, sir?" I asked. I was half praying for Cobb's name (or anyone from the job) to come up.

"How is it going?" He sat on his table. His eyes peered to me through his glasses as if trying to read my mind. Look of concern, uncertainty with some unrecognizable thoughts were etched through his face. I hope I looked fine in his eyes.

"I – I'm, I mean, I've been fine." I don't know what to say. Confused, yes. Worried, yes. But I couldn't tell him that. My fingers gripped my lilac scarf.

"Listen Ariadne. I just wanted you to know that if there is anything I could do…" he paused, searching for the right words; I guessed. "What you've been through – and don't bother covering up for Dominic" as I opened my mouth to speak "is enough to shatter your notion of reality. As I am guessing that you're aware of." My thoughts immediately flooded with images of Mal.

"Sir, don't worry. I'm o-"

"I know you're okay, Ariadne. You're a strong lady. A good student. One of the best, I daresay. But this is different. I am terribly sorry that I had to drag you through this. I just wanted the best for my grandchildren and son-in-law." he stopped. I couldn't tell what's going on in his mind. But I could not let him blame a single thing to himself.

After some seconds of uncomfortable silence I spoke up "Professor, I'm glad that you're concern with me. And you're right. What I just did, what I just gotten through is enough to break me. But I just wanted to let you know that most of it is my choice. I insisted in going with them because I'm afraid that I am the only who understand Cobb. I'm not trying to lift up my own bench or anything, but I suppose that I could be of great help with the team. And judging by how everything turned out, I guessed I am right."

When Miles didn't speak but keep on staring at me those fatherly-concern looks, I continued "Professor, other than what I just said, I also want to thank you for allowing me to experience this. The leisure of creation. It was everything."

After awhile Miles finally broke his silence. "You're stronger than I give you credit for," I smiled. "But my offer still stands, if there's anything anyone could do, don't ever hesitate to ask."

"Thank you sir" And I left the old man with his thoughts. I hoped I did a good job in clearing the things that bothered him. Miles was like a father to me.

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The long corridor was empty as I passed the line of lockers. Odd, but I did not bother thinking more about it. All I wanted was to go home, rest and draw some more. When I reached my locker I observed that there were things I don't expect to be in it. A single little baby shoe, a necktie and a blue toy car. I held the car for a long time thinking about my parents and brother who died in a similar car years ago. I did not notice a tear escaping from my eyes.

As I wiped my face and slammed the locker shut, I'm not alone in the corridor anymore. Somebody familiar – in a three pieced suit – was standing in an arm's length distance with me.

"Arthur?" I asked bewildered. Has three months passed by? I didn't notice. Maybe I lost count.

"Ariadne. Come back to -"

I cut him short "Of course. I'm only waiting for you." I couldn't help but smile.

"No. Come back to _reality__._" Then I saw him point a gun in my head, a shot and everything went black.

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_sorry it took a while to upload the third. the fourth is on its way. love love._

_review please. :D_

_-Maud_


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